Body of Diver Found Off Long Beach Coast by Deep-Dive Drone

The body of a diver who sank near an oil platform Saturday was found in 270 feet of water off the coast of Long Beach Sunday morning.

The body was found near Oil Platform Elly at about 7:40AM by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement deep dive cadre with an underwater remotely operated vehicle, according to Deputy Joe Gordon of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

The diver was pronounced dead at 7:50AM and taken to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, said Gordon.

Two other divers were injured in the accident near the platform, according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher. One was released and the other was transported to the hyperbaric chamber at Two Harbors on Catalina Island.

The incident took place about 7.5 miles off the coast of Long Beach at about 12:30PM Saturday, according to the USCG. The diver went into an uncontrolled descent in water about 270 feet deep.

A crew member aboard a commercial dive vessel notified the USCG who started a search, but suspended it at sunset, according to USCG Petty Officer Mark Braney.

The man was described as in his mid-50’s, 5 feet- 8 inches tall and about 200 pounds. No name has been released, and whether he was a recreational enthusiast or commercial diver was not clear.